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Reflect on the Workers Lost on This National Day of Mourning

I have no idea what your schedule looks like for Wednesday, but I strongly urge you to ensure it allows for some reflection. Take a moment to pause and think about why you do what you do. I promise, you won’t be alone. That’s because Friday, April 28, 2023, is the International Day of Mourning in which countries around the world commemorate the workers who died on the job.

 

Sadly, there were no fewer than 1081 such victims in Canada in 2021, the latest year for which we have full statistics from workers compensation boards across the country. And those are just the victims we know about. The actual body count is probably significantly higher if you could factor in all the fatalities that go unreported.

 

Statistically, Northwest Territories and Nunavut had the highest 5-year average fatality rate at 7.6 deaths per 100,000 workers. Among provinces with over 100,000 workers, Saskatchewan’s 5-year average of 4.6, followed by Yukon at 4.3 and Alberta at 3.9.

 

5-Year Average Injury Fatality Rate (per 100,000 Workers), 2015-2019

 

Jurisdiction 5-year average
NWT/Nunavut 7.6
Saskatchewan 4.6
Yukon 4.3
Alberta 3.9
New Brunswick 3.5
Newfoundland/Labrador 2.8
British Columbia 2.5
Nova Scotia 2.1
Quebec 1.7
Ontario 1.3
Prince Edward Island 1.1
Manitoba 1.1

 

Source: 2021 Report on Work Fatality and Injury Rates in Canada October 21, 2021 Prepared by: Sean Tucker, PhD Anya Keefe, MSc, University of Regina

 

More disturbingly, 2021 fatality rates increased compared to 2016 to 2019 rates in five jurisdictions, including (in order of increase) Newfoundland (116%), New Brunswick (43%), Northwest Territories/Nunavut (16%), Alberta (9%) and Ontario (8%).

 

Updated April 2023